Nine months after Hurricane Florence inundated North Carolina, communities such as Trenton illustrate the slow and uneven pace of recovery.
With hurricane season starting June 1, the courthouse and jail have yet to reopen as judges hear cases in an office building and inmates are housed in another county.
Dozens are seeking buyouts federal buyouts of ruined homes, threatening Trenton’s tax base.
Even the mayor has yet to move back into her house, due to a shortage of available construction workers.
The county also lacks a newspaper or television station to help tell its story.
But several residents say that charities have helped spread the word and have done work to get them moved back in, offering hope.
